Goodbye

34

Moving. Everyone was moving. Moving forward in life, moving on from life, or just moving down the road.

The Soosquale family were busy packing away, moving further out of the city hustle and bustle. They wanted their children to have a house and yard to grow up in. Not some apartment that looked amazing.

The Miranda family on the other hand... Were busy accepting the worst of life and trying to make the most of everything while they could.

Planning family vacations and trying to make more memories while they could. To anyone else, it looked like they were just having quality family time together. Making memories to talk about later in life and have a laugh over. But to the close friends and family... It was Lin's way of procrastinating the inevitable. He didn't want to say goodbye just yet. So he distracted his children with fun trips to make memories with them.

That's all you have after death anyway. Just your memories. Able to recall all of them and looking over them. Regretting not doing one thing or talking to that one person. Crying over the best parts of your life. Knowing their over.

"How long have you been up?" Vanessa asked her husband when she woke up. She saw him sitting up staring at his phone. Scrolling through pictures he had taken of the kids from the day prior.

"Just an hour or two." He answered while putting his phone back on the nightstand near the hotel bed. "Couldn't get back to sleep." He sighed.

"Did you want to try and get back to sleep?" Vanessa frowned. She watched him shake his head and smile.

"I'll be good. I've ran on less sleep before." He smirked, recalling his acting and writing days.

"I know. And that used to be normal. Now it just worries me." She sighed. Lin saw the hurt in his wife's eyes. How worried she was over everything. He placed his hand on her cheek, rubbing his thumb across it, trying to reassure her.

"I know it bothers you... But I promise I'll be fine today. Besides, it's just a day in the park for us." He smiled.

It was a planned outing at Disneyworld. Just a normal day in the park filled with waiting in long lines forever and having fun with the family. Lin was absolutely enjoying himself taking pictures of his boys with Pluto and Donald Duck. He loved it all.

"Smile boys!" Vanessa laughed while watching them hug Peter Pan. Lin snapped quick pictures and couldn't help but laugh. These were the moments he was going to miss.

===

"I had fun today." Francisco smiled at his dad while they walked back to the hotel for the night.

"Me too! What are we doing tomorrow?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, we can hang out on the beach all day tomorrow." Vanessa offered.

"That sounds very relaxing." Lin smiled.

When the little family got back to the hotel, the boys took the opportunity to shower and head to bed early. Which was a rare occurrence. But Lin and Vanessa didn't say anything to them. They knew it had been a long day of standing, waiting, and excitement.

"So beach day tomorrow?" Lin confirmed with his wife.

"Beach day tomorrow for sure." She let out a little laugh and looked into her husband's eyes.

"How did I ever get so lucky to have you in my life?" He whispered.

"I asked you to join us for ice cream." Vanessa smiled.

"I know. But I had a crush on you for years." He chuckled.

"I know you did." She laughed at him.

"I still have the biggest crush on you!" He added. Vanessa continued laughing, knowing he wasn't going to stop now. "I love you." He smiled.

"I love you too." She whispered.

===

"Ah. No. Get that out of your mouth." Pippa frowned while grabbing the pen from Dot. She was busy labeling boxes still and making sure paperwork got filled out.

"Aw, but she loves the taste of ink." Steven laughed while bringing out another box from their bedroom. Pippa rolled her eyes and decided not to have a remark. "All that's left are the beds now." He said while sitting on the couch. Almost all of their possessions were packed away and moved to the new house.

"Good. Couches, the last bit of bedroom things... And beds. I think we did good." Pippa smiled while setting her paper aside.

"Finished with change of address?" He asked.

"Yes." She smiled while handing him the papers. "I can't wait to move out of here. We had some good times. But, we can't keep living here." She sighed.

"Bittersweet really." He laughed.

"Very." Pippa smiled. "But we're off to bigger and better places." She said while wiping Dot's mouth. Her drool was getting all over the place. No doubt the beginning stages of teething.

"Mommy! When I start classes?!" Christine shouted while stomping into the living room.

"Next month after we move into the new house." Pippa reminded. "Stop with this stomping business. You'll make the neighbors angry." She pointed. Christine groaned and marched her way back into her room.

"Neighbors... something I won't miss." Steven laughed. "At least, not this close." He smirked.

"Me too." Pippa agreed.